Clearing the forest for the Kohin fields¹ expansion wrapped up days ahead of schedule.
It was largely thanks to Ryu's "muscle over method" approach, which saved a fortune in both time and labor. With a bumper crop on the way, the annual Harvest Festival in the Landmark territory was shaping up to be a legendary event.
Ryu wanted to make sure the festival really popped. He'd settled on a classic stall staple: candied apples. However, he hit a snag immediately - sugar was practically a myth. In this world, sugar was a rare luxury, and its price was astronomical.
But Ryu wasn't one to fold. He knew a trade secret: the base for starch syrup is maltose.
Back in his yakuza days, he'd had the process hammered into him every time he got a certain senior - the guy in charge of the festival stalls - drunk.
"Listen up, Ryusei," the old man would bark. "You sprout some barley to make malt, dry it out, and grind it into powder. Then you take some glutinous rice porridge, mix in that powder, strain it, and boil the liquid until it's thick. Boom - starch syrup. It's easy work, kid. I mean, you could just buy the stuff from a supplier and save yourself the headache, but where's the craft in that? Gahahaha!"
Thanks, Boss, Ryu thought. The guy was a total cheapskate who always hustled others into paying for his tab, but for once, Ryu was genuinely grateful.
Fortunately, glutinous rice was already used as livestock feed, making it easy to skim. Since barley was grown right alongside the wheat, sourcing that was a breeze too. The "Apple Candy" of his past life - or rather, the "Rigo Candy"² of this one - was officially back on the menu.
The recipe was simple: boil the syrup, coat the Rigo fruit, and let it harden.
When Ryu demonstrated the technique in the manor's kitchen, the staff was stunned.
"We can definitely make this work," the head chef said, nodding. Together with Ryu's brothers and Shima, the team began mass-producing the treats.
The sight of the Rigo Candies lined up across the kitchen was a genuine masterpiece.
"It's weird... when there's this many of them, I don't even feel like sneaking a taste," Jiro said, drawing a round of laughter from the room.
Once the batch was finished, Ryu tucked them away in his Magic Storage³. Everything was set. Now, they just had to wait for the big day.
* * *
One particular stall was absolutely mobbed.
Word had spread that the Lord's sons were running it, and the curious locals were practically tripping over each other to get a look. Shima - the former brat of Nidai Village - was out in front, barking like a professional.
"Step right up, folks! Feast your eyes on the ultimate treat: Rigo fruit glazed in pure liquid sugar! We call it Rigo Candy! It's sweet, it's crunchy, and it's going fast! Get 'em while they're here!"
"A sugar confection!?" the crowd murmured, the energy in the air beginning to surge.
"Now, we don't mean to doubt the Young Masters," one onlooker shouted, "but sugar costs a fortune! How can you afford to sell it at this price?"
"We've put in a lot of special work just for today!" Ryu shouted back, his voice carrying over the din. His words had weight; lately, the Young Master had been on a legendary winning streak.
Tauro, the eldest, stepped forward to seal the deal. "You can stand there and doubt us all you want, but it's first come, first served! If you want to worry, do it after you've tasted it!"
That was the spark. The crowd, emboldened by Tauro's challenge, surged forward like a tide.
"Give me one!" a man yelled.
"I'll take one too!" a woman cried out.
"I've never had sugar in my life! Give me four - one for everyone in the family!"
Rigo Candy became an overnight sensation. Customers scrambled for the skewers, immediately biting into the glossy red treats.
"God, it's so sweet! And the tartness of the Rigo fruit cuts right through the sugar... this is incredible!"
"So this is a sugar confection...! I can't believe something this sweet actually exists!"
"It's... it's a revelation...!"
The reaction was overwhelming. Since most Landmark residents had lived their entire lives without tasting refined sugar, this first encounter was a total shock to the system.
The Rigo Candy sold out in record time. All two hundred skewers were gone in the blink of an eye. Between the bumper crop and the recent "handcart boom"⁴, everyone had a little extra coin to spend on a luxury.
"That was intense, but look at those faces!" Jiro said, his own face flushed with excitement.
"Yeah. Everyone loved it," Tauro added. even the usually composed eldest brother was beaming.
"Alright, then. Here's our share," Ryu said. He pulled the final four Rigo Candies out of his Magic Storage.
"Oh, that's right! We haven't even tried them ourselves yet!"
Tauro laughed, and the group joined in, finally crunched into the sweet, hard-earned fruit of their labor.
Trivia:
- Ryu's past life was specifically as a 'Tekiya' (festival stall yakuza).
- Glutinous rice was readily available because it was used as livestock feed.
- The 'Handcart Boom' refers to the economic surge caused by Ryu's earlier introduction of handcarts.
- The Kohin fields are the specific crop Ryu is currently expanding
Character Insight:
Ryu demonstrates his ability to leverage 'low-class' yakuza knowledge (making cheap sweets) to solve 'high-class' noble problems (lack of luxury goods), showing a seamless blend of his two lives.
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses 'Rigo' as a pun on 'Ringo' (Apple), a common naming convention in isekai light novels to differentiate fantasy flora while keeping it recognizable to the reader.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Kohin: A fictional crop introduced earlier in the series, likely the main export of the Landmark territory.
2 ↩ Rigo Candy: A play on Ringo-ame (Candied Apple), a staple of Japanese summer festivals.
3 ↩ Magic Storage: A standard isekai skill allowing the user to store items in a pocket dimension where time often stops.
4 ↩ Handcart Boom: Refers to the economic stimulation in the territory following Ryu's introduction of modern handcarts.
Notes:
• Ryu - Formerly Yokohama Ryusei, a yakuza. Reincarnated as the third son of the Landmark family. Has red hair and blue eyes. Possesses memories of his previous life and the ability to see names of objects.
• Shima - Ten-year-old boy with brown hair and brown eyes. Grandson of the butler Sebastian. Hired as a servant and training to be a future butler.
• Jiro - Ryu's second older brother. He has the 'Priest-Warrior' skill, combining martial arts with healing magic.
• Tauro - Ryu's older brother. The eldest son of the Landmark family. He has the 'Knight' skill and is proficient in various melee weapons. Described as kind and supportive of his younger brother.